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A poll done by Virginia Promise Partnership found that:
… nearly half (48%) of parents said their job is currently
being negatively impacted by a lack of access to child care,
resulting in having to take time off of work (23%), reduce or
change hours (18%), or quit their job (11%). These results
align with an August 2022 employer survey conducted by
the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, the Federal Reserve
Bank of Richmond, and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
Seventy-six percent of employers surveyed stated that child-
care availability impacted employee recruitment and reten-
tion, and 78 percent reported that employees frequently or
occasionally miss work due to childcare issues.
Just the start
Though costs are keeping families who need access to child-
care from accessing it, that's just one level difficulty we face
trying to address this problem.
In our next report, we will focus on the cost to train and staff
a childcare center in this area, and talk about the salaries
these employees make.
Future reports will examine government efforts to address
this issue, the role of nonprofits and faith communities in
helping to fill the gap, and the impact this shortage is having
on both families and their children. We'll also explore some
possible solutions.
Intern Charlie Li assisted with this report.
